§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force Exercise in Oman, scheduled for October 2001, on(a) the timetable for a decision on the FTA programme and (b) the assessment of the merits of the A400M aircraft. [103110]
§ Mr. Kilfoyle[holding answer 20 December 1999]: We have always known that A400M would not be available in the short term and the Joint Rapid Reaction Force 89W exercise in Oman in 2001 has not, therefore, been a factor in our assessment of the aircraft or of the FTA programme.